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Articles from the June 27, 2019 edition


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  • LRHS launches summer weight training program

    Jeremy Burnham, Reporter|Updated Jun 27, 2019

    Lind-Ritzville High School athletic director Greg Whitmore wants to help his athletes build strength over the summer, and he hopes it leads to more competitive teams at the school and less injuries during the 2019-20 school year. Citing an observation of less athletes making use of the weightroom in recent years, Whitmore has announced plans for a summer weight training program with personal trainers from Spokane's PTA Performance. Whitmore, who also coaches the high school...

  • Washtucna announces Fourth of July activities

    Updated Jun 27, 2019

    Community members and visitors are invited to travel to Washtucna to celebrate Independence Day and partake in several activities at Bassett Park on the Fourth of July. The day begins with the Firemen’s Breakfast from 6:30-9 a.m. at the Washtucna Fire Station. The parades will begin at 10:30 a.m. starting with the kiddie parade, followed by main parade. The flag raising ceremony and barbecue will start at noon in Bassett Park. The Washtucna Lions Club will cook hamburgers and hotdogs, and condiments and drinks will also be a...

  • Stimulating Summers to offer free meals for children in Ritzville and Sprague

    Updated Jun 27, 2019

    Stimulating Summers, a day camp program, will be offering free meals to children 18 years of age and under in Ritzville and Sprague throughout July and the beginning of August. The meals are a part of the organization’s Summer Food Service Program. Meals will be offered at both the Ritzville Grade School and Sprague Chamber Hall from July 1 through August 9, with the exception of the Fourth of July. Snacks will be served at 10:15 a.m. and lunch will be served at 12 p.m....

  • Over 20 students named to LRMS Honor Roll

    Updated Jun 27, 2019

    Twenty-four students at Lind-Ritzville Middle School were named to the Honor Roll for the second semester of the 2018-19 school year. Six LRMS students maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA: Brock Kinch, Myra Miller, Hunter Cameron, Taylor Galbreath, Megan Melcher and Raegan Snider. Eighteen other students finished the semester with at least a 3.5 GPA: Mariah Frees, Guadalupe Figueroa, Willow Rountree, Lance Williamson, Hayden Melcher, Shawn Steinberger, Harlee Hennings, Cameron Wood, Emily Balfe, Cooper Miller, Hunter Dinkins,...

  • Fifteen students named to Sprague High School Honor Roll

    Updated Jun 27, 2019

    Sprague High School recently announced its second semester Honor Roll for the 2018-19 school year. Three students maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA during the semester: Laura Miller, Laynie Brittain and Malea Canaday. Twelve other students were named to the Honor Roll: Samara Canaday, Kylee Longie, Kelsey Billigmeier, Jade Rios, Alexis Gilchrist, Michael Kelly, Ethan Hughes, Clayton Miller, Awson Wheeler, Hannah Brittain, Madison Miller and Mya Lynch....

  • Worst Seat In The House: The annual visit

    Dale Anderson, Sports Columnist|Updated Jun 27, 2019

    A couple of weeks ago the Eastern Washington University Eagle football coaches came to Ritzville for their annual visit. The Ritzville Lions Club has hosted the Eagle coaches for 25 years or so. A few years ago I got the chance to golf with Head Coach Beau Baldwin and Offensive Coordinator (OC) Zak Hill. Hill has since taken a job as OC for the Boise State Broncos and Baldwin is now the OC for the California Golden Bears. This year I got to golf with Head Coach Aaron Best and...

  • Ritzville Police Department Dispatch Reports: June 27, 2019

    Updated Jun 27, 2019

    May 1, 3:39 p.m. — A complainant called in and reported that he thought packages that were to be delivered at his house might have been taken to another house instead. An officer responded and located the packages on 4th Avenue when they were supposed to be delivered to an address on 5th Avenue. An officer stood by while the packages were picked up by the complainant and an explanation was provided to the neighbors. May 1, 4:39 p.m. — A complaint of a driver failing to yield and nearly causing a collision at Washington and...

  • Items found in Ritzville

    Updated Jun 27, 2019

    A blue cross with a silver outline was found by an alert citizen near the train depot station last week. Money was also found on Division Street, near the 5th Avenue intersection. To claim the items, please call 509-347-6499 or 605-228-4282....

  • Reception announcement

    Updated Jun 27, 2019

    A reception will be held at the Lind Senior Center following the memorial service for Einar Bengtson. Interment with a Military Honor Guard will take place at the Lind Cemetery at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 29. The memorial service will be held at Good Hope Lutheran Church at 2 p.m., followed by the reception....

  • Vacation Bible School draws nice crowd

    Updated Jun 27, 2019

    Children and volunteers, led by Pastor Bob Kenyon (right, in hat), sing and dance along to a fun, educative music video at Vacation Bible School on June 20 in the Emanuel Lutheran Church....

  • Column: Recognizing National Dairy Month

    Congressman Dan Newhouse, Fourth District|Updated Jun 27, 2019

    June is National Dairy Month, and Washington has many reasons to celebrate. Washington is home to almost 400 dairies, nearly 275,000 cows, and 18,000 dairy jobs. In fact, while Washington may be known for our iconic apples, dairy is our second leading commodity, valued at $1.2 billion. Growing up in Sunnyside, it isn’t hard to believe that Washington is a national leader in milk production. The region is filled with and surrounded by family-owned dairy farms and larger-scale processing plants, like Darigold, that help c...

  • Column: Examining the rare earth metal dilemma

    Don C. Brunell, Business Commentator|Updated Jun 27, 2019

    Hopefully, when American and Chinese leaders meet to resolve trade differences, talks won’t breakdown and result in a new round of tariffs or product restrictions. It is in both nations’ interests for presidents Trump and Xi Jinping to find common ground. Our state has lots riding on those negotiations. The Brookings Institute points out that Washington would be “the worst off” of any state because 154,000 people are employed in industries that would be affected by new Chi...

  • Editorial: How The Journal plans to cover crime

    Brandon Cline, Managing Editor|Updated Jun 27, 2019

    Well, it’s pretty rare to hear directly from me in editorials in back-to-back weeks. In last week’s issue, I had the pleasure of introducing The Journal’s new full-time reporter, Jeremy. In his 10 or so days on the job so far, Jeremy has dove headfirst into several stories of importance to our community, including the news of a Ritzville man who has been charged with first degree rape by the Adams County Prosecutor’s office. Jeremy, along with myself, carefully reviewed court documents of the case that we received after s...

  • Adams County adds three new graders via seven-year lease

    Jeremy Burnham, Reporter|Updated Jun 27, 2019

    Adams County has leased three new John Deere 770 G Motor Graders. Adams County Public Works Director Todd O'Brien informed the county commissioners at their meeting on June 24 that the graders had been delivered. Graders are used by the county for several jobs, such as grading gravel roads and plowing snow. The county keeps a fleet of 11 graders in operation. The three new machines replace three old ones that were aging. "The three that got replaced were from 2006, 2006 and...

  • EALD to co-host book discussion at Ritzville Public Library tonight

    Updated Jun 27, 2019

    The East Adams Library District will be holding a health literacy program today, June 27, in the Ritzville Public Library basement. The National Networks of Libraries of Medicine, Pacific Northwest Region, donated a ‘book club kit’ for a book that ties in to June’s National Health Observance, which has been LGBTQ+ Health and Awareness. The book chosen by EALD is “This Is How It Always Is,” by Laurie Frankel. The book has previously been a Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine Book Club pick. Thursday’s program is a co-hosted b...

  • Koch Well rehab, standpipe re-coating on deck for City

    Brandon Cline, Managing Editor|Updated Jun 27, 2019

    The Ritzville City Council met for a regular meeting on June 18, where they received an update on a list of City projects currently in the works, including the Koch Well and the park reservoir. Ben Varela, a principal engineer from Varela & Associates out of Spokane, was at the meeting to provide the council and staff with an update of projects that they are involved with on the City’s behalf. Two of the bigger projects that Varela highlighted were the electrical rehabilitation of the Koch Well and the re-coating of the w...

  • Brief: ACDC annual banquet set for tonight in Othello

    Updated Jun 27, 2019

    The Adams County Development Council will be holding its annual banquet tonight, June 27, at Sacred Heart Parish Hall in Othello. The banquet will celebrate the accomplishments for Adams County over the past year, as well as discuss the county’s plans moving forward. The banquet begins with social hour at 5:30 p.m. with appetizers, followed by a catered buffet and dessert bar. Janis Rountree will give the annual report and WSU President Kirk Schulz will give a keynote address, Tickets will be available to purchase at the d...

  • Brief: Deadlines announced for July 4 issue

    Updated Jun 27, 2019

    Due to the Fourth of July holiday, The Ritzville Journal will be operating under an early deadline for the July 4 publication. The deadline for all content and advertising submissions will be Friday, June 28, at 5 p.m., with the exception of news and community calendar items. The deadline for those submissions will be Monday, July 1 at 12 p.m. The Journal office will be closed on the Fourth of July in observance of the holiday. The Journal office will also be closing at noon on Friday, July 5. For more information, call...

  • Brief: Free diaper distribution to be held in Lind today

    Updated Jun 27, 2019

    PREPARES: Pregnancy And Parenting Support program, sponsored by Catholic Charities, will be holding a free diaper distribution for Lind residents on June 27. Anyone in need of diapers, regardless of income, is welcome. Diapers will be distributed at the Golden Grain building on Main Street in downtown Lind from 10-12 p.m. For more information, contact Cheryl Haase at (509) 347-6210....

  • New LRHS building remains on track

    Jeremy Burnham, Reporter|Updated Jun 27, 2019

    The Lind-Ritzville High School is on track to open on time, according to the building's construction leaders. Derek Miller of Architects West and Dan Gordon of Construction Services Group tell The Journal that things are coming along well. They both said construction should wrap in time for the start of school, which is Sept. 3. Lind-Ritzville Cooperative Schools Superintendent Don Vanderholm says teachers are expected to be able to move into the new building on Aug. 29....

  • Trial scheduled in July for Ritzville man charged with rape

    Jeremy Burnham, Reporter|Updated Jun 27, 2019

    Editor's note: this article contains some description of an alleged crime that may be disturbing to some readers. Michael A. Kuest, 27, of Ritzville will stand trial on a charge of rape in the first degree on July 23 in the Adams County Superior Court. The alleged incident occurred on June 3, and the Adams County Prosecutor's office filed formal charges on June 5. The court found probable cause and bail was set at $250,000. Kuest is scheduled to appear in court on July 1 for...

  • Proposed rates for health insurance market offers mostly good news for Adams County

    Brandon Cline, Managing Editor|Updated Jun 27, 2019

    Two health insurance companies will be offering plans inside the Washington Health Benefit Exchange in Adams County for the 2020 individual health insurance market, it was announced earlier this month by the Washington state Office of the Insurance Commissioner. The two companies, Coordinated Care Corporation and Lifewise Health Plan, also offered plans in the county for the 2019 health insurance market. In addition, Lifewise Health Plan and Asuris Northwest Health will be offering plans in the county outside of the Exchange....